Questioning

Gore's motives

I cannot understand why a man who wants every vote counted would not want to count the votes of the men and women who put their lives on the line every day. They are the reason we still have the right to vote.

I cannot believe the things I have seen and heard the last several weeks actually took place in this country. It doesn't matter that we had a fair election and that the majority of the states went for Bush, therefore giving him more electoral votes -- a system that was set up by our forefathers to make sure that everyone in our country would have a say and not just the large, populated states.

This law is also being challenged by a Democrat, Hillary Clinton, who in the year 2004, if she runs for president, just wants to go to California and New York and the other big states, and bypass her state of Arkansas, which went for Bush; Tennessee, Al Gore's home state, which also went for Bush, and West Virginia, a die-hard Democrat state, which went for Bush. This hasn't happened for years. Are we as an American people going to sit idly by and let this take place? I pray not!

If we listen to the liberal press, which backs Al Gore, we wouldn't stand up for our rights because, as conservatives, we are in the minority. The media backed Al Gore because its agenda is the same, killing innocent unborn babies, giving more power to the government and less to the people, making sure we give more than equal rights but special rights to a select number of people, and people whom Al Gore and his party say deserve the rights.

They also use the same reasoning with taxes: not that all taxpayers deserve a tax break, but only those who Al Gore and his party say deserve one. Al Gore says he has cried out for the sake of democracy, but it sounds to me like he wanted a dictatorship.

Donna J. Hood

Canaan Valley

Why a smoking ban is needed in

Harrison County

Question: Who will the Harrison County Health Department side with? Every Harrison Countian, including those who have never smoked, pays $304 each year for the health care costs of tobacco-related illnesses.

I contend that smoking cigarettes is World War III -- 430,700 smoking-related deaths each year in the United States, compared with 426,852 battle deaths in the five principal wars of the United States (this century). World War I had 53,513; World War II, 292,131; Korean War, 33,667; Vietnam War, 47,393, and Persian Gulf War, 148.

Smoking-related deaths thus far total 430,700 to 426,852 battle-related deaths.

What does Harrison County -- on the deadly drug in the United States, the legal drug nicotine -- have in common with people on the illegal drug heroin? Answer: The legal drug nicotine's addiction is as hard to get over as people hooked on the illegal drug heroin.

Will the Harrison County Health Department side with people not on the deadly drug or with people on the deadly drug?

Shouldn't Harrison County want 100 percent smoke-free restaurants?

I contend that if I were a restaurant worker, I should be allowed to file a lawsuit against the restaurant owner for subjecting me to the deadly drug of the United States.

Kenny Crow

Moundsville

Accusations of

left-leaning bias

On Monday, December 25, the editorial bias of your left-leaning newspaper was more apparent than usual. You effectively minimize editorial content regarding views not held by your paper. Yet, you do not exercise restraint when the left vents.

For example, in Anthony G. Amsterdam's column, "The law is left twisting slowly in the wind," he actually goes so far as to accuse the Supreme Court of committing crimes.

I can understand his disagreement and disappointment, but to get so out-of-control that he accuses the court of committing crimes, that should be beyond even your bias.

Jack Hartsoch

Clarksburg